Copy linkFacebookXPinterestEmailShare this article 0Join the conversationFollow usAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleNewsletterSubscribe to our newsletterOut of darkness cometh light. So read the banners spanning the centre of Molineuxs South Bank before Wolverhampton Wanderers played their Championship opener against Blackburn Rovers.Its not a difficult message to comprehend. Wolves suffered an utterly miserable relegation from the Premier League in 2025-26, effectively left to wither by the very people responsible for nourishing them. 2026-27 is new. New promise. New bigwigs. New gaffer.But the dawn of each new season gives lie to one of footballs great false assumptions. The Wolves supporters converging on Molineux in the scorching Friday evening sunshine resplendent in gold dont care what division theyre in. At least not tonight.Latest Videos FromFourFourTwoWatch full video here: A dose of Championship realityStarting from zero offers the cruel extremes of elation or misery. This opening night threatened to end badly for Wolves, who scored first but found themselves behind against a Blackburn team expected to improve under returning manager Tony Mowbray.The danger posed by established Championship teams to relegated opponents is that they can be sturdy and streetwise. Blackburn were both in the West Midlands in their first game of the season. You may like Leeds were being dragged down to the relegation zone, and due to mismanagement were losing the quality that had pushed us up the Premier League Lucas Radebe on Leeds Uniteds 2000s downfall Bromley vs Leicester and 10 more things to look forward to in the EFL this season 'The fault of one man' Mel Sterland believes Sheffield Wednesday finally have reason to dream again after years of struggle 2026-27 is a bracing test for Wolves. The bar is high; the expectation that they will return to the Premier League at the first time of asking isnt universally held but it was overheard frequently on the streets outside the ground without much need to strain the ears.Relegated teams have certain advantages over other promotion hopefuls but those who drop on the back of disastrous seasons can be difficult to turn around.Get FourFourTwo NewsletterThe best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week.Contact me with news and offers from other Future brandsReceive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsorsBy submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.The new manager tasked with that job is Cesar Peixoto, a 46-year-old former Porto midfielder who is in his first managerial role outside Portugal and never played a competitive match beyond its borders either.Peixoto told reporters after their 2-2 draw with Blackburn that Wolves wanted all three points. He wasnt happy with one but they were perhaps fortunate to even get that. The clock ticked into stoppage time with Rovers in front.The goals scored by the away team pointed to a vulnerable spot that Wolves can expect opposition managers to target in every Championship fixture until Peixoto resolves it. Understandably, he wasnt overly concerned after one match. What to read next Leeds United survived the drop last season, and now work is being done to cement the Whites as a Premier League outfit: Leeds 2026-27 season preview West Ham will be everyones cup final in the Championship. Even little Lincoln will fill the away section at the London Stadium Tony Gale on what relegation means for his old side Coventry City fought valiantly to make it back to the Premier League, but will surviving the drop prove to be an even greater task? - Coventry City 2026-27 season preview Yet it was a clear and repeatable blueprint that yielded both Blackburn goals.Both came from deliveries into the box right under the nose of the goalkeeper and were finished with one touch by a player lurking in what ice hockey lovers would describe as the blue paint.Sean McLoughlin smartly glanced a header beyond Dan Bentley to draw the visitors level. Andri Gudjohnsen turned in Oladapo Afolayans pass across the face to give them the lead. Both were defendable but not defended, good finishes from an attacking perspective but concerning for Wolves.Wolves were saved by Raul Jimenezs penalty in stoppage timeOut of darkness, cometh light.In need of a goal, Peixoto turned to a Molineux favourite. Weeks after playing in a home World Cup, Mexico striker Raul Jimenez played his first Championship match at his other home.Jimenez, now 35, followed Wolves into the second tier after his contract expired at Fulham. The fans around Molineux know exactly what theyre getting from a striker with 55 Premier League goals to his name, but only half of his Wolves story can be told on paper.The Mexican hitman supplied a commemorative scarf to every fan on the South Bank. Thats the kind of figure Jimenez is at Wolves. The buzz when he came on was palpable and Peixoto was rewarded for giving the faithful what they wanted.After replacing highly rated young winger Matheus Mane, Jimenez did what Jimenez does.He won some flick-ons. He got himself into the box and tried to nick a goal by throwing a leg at anything small, round and rolling he could find. He let his opponents know he was there, naturally, but the first goal of his second spell at Wolves was familiar in another way.Mowbray and Blackburn disputed the decision to award a stoppage-time penalty for Ryan Alebiosus handball, but once the offence had been adjudged to have taken place inside the box, what happened next in front of a sea of Jimenezs scarves was never in doubt.It truly didnt matter in that moment whether Jimenez was scoring in the Premier League or the Championship or League One or anywhere else.TOPICSRaul JimenezWolverhampton WanderersBlackburn RoversChampionshipChris NeeChris is a Warwickshire-based freelance football writer specialising in West Midlands football, the Premier League, the EFL and the J.League. He is the author of the High Protein Beef Paste football newsletter and owner of Aston Villa Review. He supports Coventry Sphinx.
